


NERD

by dreamtowns



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Light Language, Technically reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-20 20:43:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21062912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamtowns/pseuds/dreamtowns
Summary: Prompto worked on the sign while Noctis had traipsed through the snow-laden streets of Niflheim, studying the newest aquatic life that had been discovered with his research team. It’s twelve minutes since he’s landed in the Galdin Quay airport, five minutes since he texted,@ baggage claim, and Prompto can’t wait for his husband to see it.





	NERD

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Final Fantasy XV. All rights reserved to its developers: Square Enix. All that is mine is the plot of this story in particular and any original characters introduced. No copyright infringement intended. No money is being made from this work. This is purely for entertainment purposes.
> 
> Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors!

_@ baggage claim [smiling kissy face emoji]_

Prompto smiled down at the message and adjusted the sign under his arm. There a few passing people who glanced down at it and either snickered, smiled fondly, or did both. One or two rolled their eyes but, honestly, Prompto cared little for the opinions of others. He had cared too much when he was younger.

His husband was coming home after a five-week research excursion in the tundra that was Niflheim, sent by his University all because of a new species of aquatic life had been discovered to survive the harsh iciness of the region.

Not that Noctis complained, of course. Despite the extreme weather conditions, Noctis had gone nearly ballistic with anticipation as he waited to know if his research team would be sent out to gather data or not. He’d nearly run a hole in their floor, much to Prompto’s fond exasperation.

Prompto was excited as well—he always was, whenever anything happened that lit a fire in Noctis’ heart—but he didn’t really understand all the hype in the marine biology community at the new species. Sure, it was cool and interesting, but some scientists actually cried. Like, legit tears at the news.

Noctis may or may not have been one of them.

_Can’t wait to see you_, Prompto thumbed back. It marked delivered, but unread. Knowing how hectic baggage claim could be, especially when one switched time zones three times and had almost six layovers, he wasn’t too bothered by Noctis’ silence.

A burst of noise rippled through the quiet air: a group of travelers exited the baggage claim area, looking tired but bright-eyed as they either searched for whoever waited for them or for a taxi service. After a quick glance at them, Prompto knew Noctis wasn’t among them.

Although nestled north of a resort town, the northeastern Galdin Quay airport had little traffic around this time of the year. It probably has something to do with the flash flooding the region had a few weeks ago, Galdin suffering a loss of tourism to rebuild that was slowly, inchingly trudging toward the numbers it used to boast.

Which reminded Prompto—he should stop by the Mother of Pearl and see if Coctura wanted him to do any more pictures. It’d boost morale and interest, for sure.

Prompto isn’t one to brag, but he was always pleased at the notoriety his photographs received.

Known internationally with the help of various galas and presentations (and a few sweet awards), his freelance business had boomed since he started out doing nature assignments for Vyv that no one else wanted: like picking his way through Ravatough for a picture of a legendary bird rumored to once exist Pre-Long Night in Lucis, shimmying his way inside abandoned factories and forts that once belonged to a malignant Empire, or risking a limb by going into the Malmalam Thicket—

Point is: Prompto’s well-known in the freelance and photography world, for both his pictures and his penchant for taking on jobs literally everyone else considered suicidal.

His phone chimed with another message. His heart fluttered in disappointment, however, when he noticed that it wasn’t Noctis but, instead, was Ignis. An old friend of theirs, all the way back in their childhood when they all lived in the same neighborhood, who dominated the culinary world with his badassery.

_What is your ETA? Has Noctis landed yet?_

Humming along the music that played in the lobby area, Prompto sent a quick response. _He’s @ baggage claim! Uhh—I think we’ll be at your place in, like, the hour? _

_Wonderful, _Ignis sent back. _Let him know I’ve prepared his favorite breakfast items. _

_Aww, you’re so sweet! I will. _

Prompto slid his phone back into his pocket as a voice crackled over the intercom. It talked of a delay for an exiting flight, so Prompto didn’t pay the information much attention. As he spied another incoming group, Prompto fixed the sign in his hands, having it be displayed for the world to see.

But the newest group held no Noctis either, but Prompto _did _recognize a few people from Noctis’ research group. He titled his head in wonder. Did Noctis’ luggage get lost? That happened once, back when he traveled to the Galahd.

It was a nightmare neither of them wanted to repeat. Especially since Noctis had sensitive documents in said luggage.

“Shortcake.”

Prompto startled, not having sensed anyone approach him from behind, but smiled warmly at the sight of Aranea Highwind. “Hey, Nea!”

No one would look at Aranea and think she was a marine biologist—not with her muscled physique, often scowl on her face, and the tattoo that curled around her forearm, but she was. Prompto had became friends with Aranea through a prerequisite class at their University, and they hit it off. Although two years his senior, she had procrastinated in taking her Gen Ed’s, which was why she was mostly in classes with freshman when she was a semester away from graduation.

“Hey yourself,” Aranea said before her eyes fell on the sign. Her lips twitched. “I see you had fun with that.”

“Sure did,” laughed Prompto. “How was the trip? Did everything go well?”

“Eh.” Aranea shrugged. “About as expected, really.”

That could mean a lot of things, really, but Prompto didn’t push. Noctis would tell him everything—even, much to his chagrin, things Prompto really wasn’t supposed to know. “It happens,” Prompto replied sagely before he broke off into a chuckle at Aranea’s eye-roll. “Hey, I think I saw Luna by the coffeehouse.”

Aranea’s eyes brightened, but she tried to play it off like she wasn’t that excited to see her wife. “That so?” she said in a drawl. “Which one?”

“It had a weird mermaid sign on it,” Prompto replied. “I think it’s a new company—dunno, really, but they made a mean herbal tea.”

She snorted and readjusted the straps on her shoulders. “I’ll see you around, shortcake,” she said, shifting to leave and find Luna. “By the way, Prince Charmless is still getting his luggage—I don’t think it got lost again, but he’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Prompto gave a cheery salute. “Thanks—and tell Luna I said hi!”

“We’ll all be seeing each other in a few hours,” Aranea replied, but her eye roll was fonder than anything. “You headin’ to Specs for brunch?”

“Of course,” said Prompto.

The thought of Ignis’ bacon made his mouth water.

“Drive safe,” Aranea said at last, and then disappeared in the throng of travelers lurching toward the front entrance of the airport. Impressive, really, since Aranea was almost six feet.

A few more familiar faces from Noctis’ research group drifted by—Navyth, the head of the group; Sania, and a few others Prompto only really knows by face, but not name—and Prompto grew antsier by the minute, the longer Noctis stayed at baggage claim.

He chewed on his bottom lip and fiddled with the sign—but stopped when it made a protesting noise in the form of an ominous rip.

The sign, in Prompto’s opinion, was a work of art.

Really, it was.

Prompto drew mini fish of all species around the border, intermixed with fishing rods, and emblazed in the middle, in bright, rainbow colors and glitter, was: NERD OF MY LIFE.

Picasso would weep, if he saw Prompto’s sign.

When an approaching, familiar silhouette came into view, Prompto visibly held himself back from launching in Noctis’ direction. He settled for a bright beam and hopped in place.

“If I wasn’t so tired,” Noctis said and it took all of Prompto’s strength not to laugh at the disgruntled expression. Noctis looked like a kitten awoken from a nap. “I’d tackle you to the floor.”

“That’s assault, kind sir,” Prompto replied, teasingly, but reached out to pull Noctis closer by the waist. The greeting kiss was soft, even though Noctis’ lips were chapped from the Niflheims’ temperatures, and Prompto made a quiet noise as Noctis melted against him, eyes closing. Before it could deepen, he, regretfully, had to pull back. They _were _in public, after all. “Missed you.”

Noctis looked as pleased as he could be, given the exhaustion lining deep under his eyes. “Missed you too,” he murmured against Prompto’s cheek.

They stood there for a moment, embracing each other, soaking in the warmth. Noctis had the faint scent of saltwater, fish, and something that could only be described as _snow_.

“You need a shower,” Prompto laughed as he stepped back to give them both room to move around.

Noctis blew a raspberry. “I need a _nap_.”

“No naps,” said Prompto, a mock-stern frown on his lips. “You’ll mess up your internal clock.”

Noctis groaned like the petulant child that he secretly was and fastened his hold on his luggage, grumbling under his breath as he did so. “I fucking hate time zones.”

Prompto snickered. He entwined their fingers. “Come on – Iggy’s made a welcome back brunch. And you can’t have mimosas if you’re sleeping.”

At that, Noctis perked up. “Did he make pancakes?”

“You know it, baby,” said Prompto, eyes crinkling as he smiled at Noctis’ unfurling excitement. “Blueberries and all.”

“Thank _fuck_.” Noctis licked his lips. “I’ve been eating microwaved meals all month.”

Prompto frowned as they maneuvered their way through the crowd of disgruntled, harried travelers. “That can’t be healthy?”

“It’s really not,” Noctis agreed. “But, well, fresh ingredients were hard to come by, you know? Besides the pre-packed meals, there were a lot of dried fruit and,”—here, Noctis shuddered and added, in a disgusted whisper: “_Vegetables.”_

Prompto snorted.

Noctis’ vendetta against healthy greens would never get old—or cease.

The walk back to the car—they called it _the Regalia_—was short and painless, and Noctis settled into the passenger side with a relieved sigh. Prompto ran his thumb over Noctis’ knuckles for a moment before he turned on the car.

“It’s good to be back,” Noctis murmured against the soft backdrop of the radio and made a soft noise as the sun hit his face. _“Warmth_, I love it.”

Prompto smiled as he maneuvered around the complicated parking garage.

“Welcome home, nerd.”

Noctis had the strength left to stick his tongue out. “It’s ‘nerd of your life,’ Prompto, get it _right.” _

**Author's Note:**

> Found this prompt on Pinterest (though technically tumblr, since it's a screenshot from that site): "who in your otp waits at the airport for the other while holding a huge, bedazzled poster emblazoned with the word nerd" 
> 
> Drop a comment/kudos if you enjoyed it!


End file.
